Stand Alone Pages

Thursday, February 14, 2013

February 14 – Leviticus 5-7

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 5-7. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

I have to be perfectly honest with you … this is one of the sections of the Bible I dread to read. I understand and get all the Laws that God put in place. I think it was a necessary thing for His people to have. I think it is beneficial to us to understand the Laws, culture, and world that Jesus lived in and the church was established in. But I find it incredibly boring to read. I imagine that I am not the only one who feels this way. Let me encourage you, if you have a hard time reading a section of scripture to read it out loud. When I do not read it out loud I find myself having to reread, getting easily distracted, or having no clue what I just read.

While reading today I also found something I thought was really cool. God tells Moses … “If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for his sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.” Lev. 5:7 NIV84 or “‘If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.” Lev. 5:11 NIV84. Both of these passages show that God is not consumed with the dollar amount you are able to give. It is the heart that you give with. God made provisions for His people to give what they could afford.

I think that holds true in our giving today. God expects our best from him, whether it is a monetary gift, our physical service, our spiritual service, or any other types of gifts we choose to give. God wants our best regardless of how extravagant it is. He wants us to give the best that we can, straight from a desire to give.

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